Tallinn University of Technology, the only technological university in Estonia, is the flagship of Estonian engineering and technology education. Here the synergy between different fields (technological, natural, exact, social and health sciences) is created and new ideas are born.

TalTech is exporting the idea of e-state to Kazakhstan, added links to international media coverage

This week, TalTech and advanced Estonian companies will introduce in Kazakhstan their experience in digitalisation and the impact of the e-state on the economy and society in general. On 12 March, an international forum will take place on the initiative of Estonians in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, called ‘Digitalisation: the Estonian experience’, where the Kazak public sector and representatives of companies will discuss the impact of the e-state and digital solutions on economic development and the use of Estonia’s success story in the programme ‘Digital Kazakhstan’.

The forum is part of the digital initiative TalTechDigital of TalTech, which is based on the university’s ambition and determination to use and develop modern technologies in the best way and be the driving force behind building strategic partnerships at home and beyond.

In addition to the School of Information Technologies of TalTech, the Estonian Maritime Academy, and the Mektory Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre, representatives of Nortal, GoSwif, Security Software, and Port of Tallinn will participate in the digital forum.

Academic Jaak Aaviksoo, Head of the Estonian delegation and Rector of TalTech, wants to share the knowledge, solutions, and opportunities gained from the digital initiative of the university, TalTechDigital, to contribute to the national digitization programme of Kazakhstan. ‘Digitalisation is Estonia’s main competitive advantage and Kazakhstan has set high goals in this field,’ said Rector Aaviksoo, adding that Kazakhstan has a very bold digital vision and strong political will to modernise their country, which offers good opportunities for collaboration at both the academic and practical level.

Peeter Smitt, Director of the Government and Healthcare Business Department of Nortal, said that Kazakhstan is a new and interesting market for Nortal. ‘The forum helps to understand better the current state of digitalisation and the expectations of the local market. During the visit, we hope to make contact with both customers and potential local partners,’ said Smitt. According to him, Nortal has successfully exported the digitalisation experience of Estonia and the Nordic countries to countries in Asia and Africa. ‘The prerequisite for successful digitalisation is having a holistic approach to technology, business processes, and regulation. Nortal has built a team who has experience in these fields and can share it in different cultural environments,’ said Smitt.

The delegation will meet with heads of higher education institutions in Almaty, Astana, and Aktau. Estonians will share their experience in cyber security and the use of smart solutions in the city space and ports with Kazakh companies.

TalTech wishes to open its advanced laboratories and study classes for Kazakh scientists to provide research equipment and contribute to the joint projects between Kazakh companies and universities. For example, TalTech Open University offers courses and short courses where people can develop themselves who want to contribute to Kazakhstan’s faster digitalisation and the development of e-democracy.

The idea of the forum was initiated by Eurasia Investment Platform (EIP), partner of TalTech in the Caspian Sea Region. Bekhruz Akhundov, Head of EIP, has negotiated with several local companies over the past six months to prepare plans to involve TalTech and Estonian companies in the digitalisation. According to Akhundov, representatives of other organisations near the Caspian Sea have expressed their wish to cooperate with Estonian companies. Digital education can promote the development of society and the economy not only in Kazakhstan but also in other Caspian countries.

The digital forum and the visit to Kazakhstan are funded by the development co-operation project of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Promotion of Kazakhstan’s digital development of the public sector and enterprises and involvement of universities in international cooperation.

Estonian companies wishing to introduce e-government solutions in the Caspian Sea region are welcome to join the project.